5 Azure Networking basics

In chapter 4, you explored the Azure Storage service. One of the other core services for cloud applications is Azure Networking. Azure has a lot of powerful network features to secure and route your traffic on a truly global scale. These features are designed to help you focus on how to build and maintain your apps, so you don’t have to worry about details like IP addresses and route tables. If you build and run an online store to handle pizza orders, it must securely transmit the customer data and process payment transactions.

This chapter examines Azure virtual networks and subnets, and discusses how to create virtual network interfaces. To secure and control the flow of traffic, you create network security groups and rules. If networking is new to you, or if it’s been a while since you had to work with IP addresses and network cards, this chapter may take a little longer to work through. It has a lot of Try It Now exercises. It’s worth your while to take the time to understand this chapter, however, as networking is key to many of the services in Azure.

5.1 Virtual network components

5.1.1 Virtual networks and subnets

5.1.2 Virtual network interface cards

5.1.3 Public IP address and DNS resolution

5.2 Securing and controlling traffic with network security groups

5.2.1 Creating a network security group

5.2.2 Associating a network security group with a subnet

5.2.3 Creating network security group filtering rules

5.3 Building a sample web application with secure traffic

5.3.1 Creating remote access network connections

5.3.2 Creating VMs

5.3.3 Using the SSH agent to connect to your VMs

5.4 Lab: Installing and testing the LAMP web server